Similar to the rest of the country, Utah experienced a spike in the number of hit-and-run crashes following the pandemic.
In 2019, the Pew Research Center found 12.1% of crashes across the United States involved a hit-and-run driver. It was 14.5% in 2022. In Utah, state data shows hit-and-runs accounted for 4% of crashes in 2019. By 2022, it was 8.7%, and the numbers haven’t gone down.
So far in 2024, 9.5% of crashes are hit-and-runs.
“Five thousand crashes is way too many to have be hit-and-runs,” Utah Department of Public Safety spokesman Jason Mettmann said about the number they see now.
Before the pandemic, they saw about 2,500 hit-and-runs per year. Mettmann said drivers leave the scene of an accident for several reasons.
“A lot of folks are worried about whether or not they're covered on insurance, or the other driver is or isn't. Maybe you're driving a car that's not your own, and you're worried about what to do.”
Drivers are also more likely to flee after hitting a cyclist or pedestrian. Since 2022, more than 16% of crashes involving these groups have been hit-and-runs. Mettmann said the impact can be severe for vulnerable road users.
“They might not be able to call for help. And if you leave the scene of the crash, then their condition could worsen, or EMS might not be able to get to them as quickly.”
He said it’s always best to stay at the scene until law enforcement — and medical services, if necessary — arrive.
“You have a legal and ethical duty to stop and then also be a good witness if you see [a crash],” he said. That means stopping in a safe location and calling 911 if there are any injuries.
Drivers are also legally required to report an accident if it appears to have resulted in $2,500 of damage or more. Lt. Cameron Roden of Utah Highway Patrol said the level of damage can be hard to gauge, so calling law enforcement is a good option.
“We want to make sure that people understand that if you're involved in any type of crash, you are required by state law to report that,” he said.
The Utah Insurance Department also recommends calling the police and collecting information from each party and the details of the crash.
Leaving the scene of an accident in Utah is a class B misdemeanor. If the collision results in injury, serious injury or death, leaving the area is a class A misdemeanor or felony. Most hit-and-runs aren’t fatal, but Mettmann said the five fatalities from hit-and-run crashes in 2024 “likely didn't get help as quickly as they needed.”
Dr. Johnathon Ehsani, who studies road safety at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the reasons behind the increase in hit-and-runs are hard to pin down. Cost of living increases and higher car insurance rates may help to explain the spike.
Beyond that, he wondered how the pandemic changed the social contract that steers how people drive.
“What is happening in the realm of values in people's hearts? That's the real question. How could you bring yourself to leave a scene?”
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
